In the Socialist parliamentary group meeting, Edi Rama warned that he might not be on the list of candidates for MPs.
After 20 years in government and opposition, this would be the first case in Albanian politics where the party leader and candidate for prime minister is not included in the list of MP candidates.
Edi Rama, who has not yet made a final decision, announced this possibility during the Socialist parliamentary group meeting. Meanwhile, the fate of most of the MPs has already been determined—they will be candidates in the open lists.
“All MPs who have served at least one term will be in the race. Why? Because with the new system we have, the competition is balanced. Men compete against men, women compete against women,” Rama said.
For male MPs who disagree with this rule, the Socialist leader requested their withdrawal from the race before the candidate list is finalized.
“The fundamental principle of the new list will be that no male MP who has served at least one term for the Socialist Party will be on the closed list. It is the right of anyone who, for various reasons, does not want to be on the open list to say so, but they must inform us in advance so that they are not included, and later they cannot claim, ‘Oh, I won’t run.’ Because, in principle, the battle should be fought by those with more experience and those who have received more votes, with the Socialist Party leading the way,” Rama stated.
With a “blood transfusion,” Edi Rama referred to a candidate list dominated by new names, not only from the Socialist Party structures but also from the “The MP We Want” platform, the Diaspora, and some ministers without an MP mandate. For some of them, a secure place on the list has been reserved.
“There may be an internal discussion about the contributions these young men and women have made to deserve a place on the closed list. I have a completely different perspective. I believe that precisely because these individuals are younger and are invited or included to give the Socialist Party a strong blood transfusion and make it both the oldest and the youngest party in Albania, they should be there. Meanwhile, others, since they have already been part of it, should be in the field to secure as many votes as possible for the Socialist Party,” Rama said.
The safe list will not only include young candidates and some ministers but also the political leaders of the 12 districts, nine of whom have served more than one parliamentary term. Explaining his reasoning for this arrangement, the Socialist leader stated:
“This would disrupt the entire process because it would not allow for equal opportunities in the race, and at the same time, it would not ensure any real political leadership of the competition on our side. If political leaders were focused on securing votes for themselves and had a special status, this would inherently create inequality and disorient the entire team,” Rama said.
Regarding his direct opponent, Sali Berisha, Rama targeted the Democratic Party’s electoral campaign strategist, American consultant Chris LaCivita.
“There is no media or propaganda trick, no tourist coming from America with who-knows-what paycheck to apply a Trump-style makeover to the campaign of those forces that changes this essence,” the Prime Minister declared.
In conclusion, for MPs at risk of losing their parliamentary seats, Rama reassured them with a secondary decision from the Socialist Party.
“Regardless of whether they are in the MP team or not… they will be needed in the next Socialist Party mandate, and there is a new government structure for another day. But that is for another day,” Rama stated.
